Need some help finding parts.......

trainsteve2435

trainsteve2435

Member
Jun 18, 2004
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barboursville, wv
Hello everyone, i need some help locating some hard to find parts for a couple of Kato HO scale SD45's. A couple of years ago i bought 2 of these locos with the intent of stripping and re painting them into Santa Fe colors. All went fine until i had to pack up and move to a bigger house. Now its time to resume work on these engines, but guess what..............:eek: You guessed it, im missing the parts i removed from the shells when i stripped them. I have checked the Kato web site, but their always out of the parts i need. Im hopeing someone out there might know some where else i can find them. Also, will the hand rail set from a Kato SD40 fit a SD45? Just curious. Anyways, i will list the parts i need, and thanks to you all for your time.:wave:

Parts..........................

Hand rail set
Window glass set
Detail parts bag
Cab interior
 
I think Smokey Valley makes the stanchions for your model in brass. You then bend up your own wire handrails. The rest of the detail casting you would need are available in either brass or plastic from Detail Associates, Details West, Precision Scale, or other detail manufacturers. You don't need to stick with Kato details, and also that way if you have a picture of the unit you want to model, you can build it with the specific details from the prototype.
 
First thing I would do is to locate a large model train store even if you have to drive to the big city. Some of these old shops stash parts for years and may just have the Kato parts you are looking for.

As far as the 'detail parts' you are looking for, make sure that they are the correct Santa Fe parts. When I'm altering a loco for a specific railroad, I always check out the photo of the prototype with a magnifying glass because not all roads used the same equipment. Who knows, but you might generate a list of 'Santa Fe' items to buy at that model train store that is different than your original list of parts. Similarly, study the prototype to ensure you have the correct decal set that includes ALL of the markings.

I have a lot of experience with these types of 'conversions' and hope you enjoy doing them.

-Ed
 
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